January 2010 - Posts

January 30 was a very cold Saturday with temperatures only in the teens at
noon. But the Historical Society skating and bonfire party went on as planned.
A little before 1:00 p.m. we set fire to the pile of wood, put out hot
chocolate, marshmallows and donuts, and waited to see if anyone would show up.
Show up they did! In total we had over 40 people brave the cold weather.
Adults, kids, dogs- all enjoyed the skating, toasting marshmallows and the
warmth of the blazing fire. Photographers for three local newspapers were on
hand to record the fun.

Over the past several years we have contemplated a nice
winter event at the Squire's Tavern, and the bonfire and skating seemed to be a
nice combination. So starting in mid-January we built a skating rink on the
grounds of the Tavern, filled it with water and waited for it to freeze. Well,
it wasn't all quite that easy. A lot of work was done by a lot of volunteers.
Thank you Riverton Fire Department for your help with the water supply! Fifty
degree weather less than a week before the scheduled day raised the stress level
some, but that warm spell was followed by frigid weather and all was
well.

We were very pleased with this event and plan to make it an
annual happening. It gave us confidence to have such a great turnout when it
was this cold. New people came to the Tavern, and we even lured some inside to
look around. Thanks to all our volunteers who helped make this possible, and we
look forward to a repeat next year.